Immigration Process

CYA provides a visa webinar before each semester to better guide you through the visa application process. This information may even be presented in conjunction with HC during our on-campus pre-departure orientation. Additionally, CYA's detailed pre-departure orientation webinars cover:

• Preparing to leave

• What to expect on arrivals day

• Living in Athens (health, safety, culture, daily life, academics)

• Q&A Session

CYA will email enrolled students regarding these webinars and related resources in the semester before you're due to study abroad. Students also have access to this information in their CYA student portal. 

» Embassy of Greece in Washington DC

» Consulate General in San Francisco

» Consulate General in Boston

» Consulate General in Los Angeles

» Consulate General in New York

» Consulate General in Chicago

» Consulate General in Tampa

» Consulate in Atlanta

» Consulate in Houston

Which Consulate you will use to apply for your visa may depend on your home state, and not necessarily the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where Holy Cross is located. 

Please note that US passport holders will apply for the "National Visa" for the purpose of study longer than 90 days. 

U.S. passport holders will apply for a student visa using the National Visa application for a semester abroad longer than 90 days and for an academic year abroad. 

Students must:

1. Attend an in-person interview

2. Present documents required for the visa application

3. Submit biometrics (fingerprints and facial scan)

4. Pay a visa fee on the day of the interview 

Documents generally required are listed below. These requirements are subject to the laws and policies of the Consulate at which you will apply for your student visa. Any information or documents for the student visa process are subject to change at any time, and may not be consistent across Consulates. Holy Cross is not notified of these changes. Students are responsible for following the instructions provided to them and to stay on top of any notices or changes from the Greek Consulate during their application period. CYA is also available to provide information and assistance as needed, but nor are they responsible for any changes to the visa process implemented by the Greek Consulate.

• A valid passport (signed, does not expire for until at least 6 months beyond the end of your semester or year abroad)

• Visa application

• Photos

• Health insurance

• Medical certificate

• Roundtrip flight booking

• Evidence of sufficient financial means of at least 650 euros a month

• Proof of accommodation

• A certificate proving registration and payment of fees at the respective education institute, as appropriate, or a certificate showing acceptance for registration

Holy Cross and CYA will assist in providing some of these documents (health insurance, medical certificate, etc.), but some are solely the responsibility of the student and/or their parent (visa application, evidence of sufficient financial means, etc.). All students will attend a comprehensive visa application overview meeting where these particulars will be covered in detail. 

For planning purposes, students and their families/guardians should be aware that Consulates will not accept visa appointments until three months prior to your departure date. 

The Consulate will keep your passport once you submit it at your appointment and will mail it back to you with your visa affixed to a blank stamp page inside. You should not plan any travel that requires you to use your passport during this time for this reason. 

The documents needed for the evidence of financial means are:

• A notarized affidavit that states the students or their parent(s)/guardian(s) have sufficient funds to support your living expenses in Greece. CYA provides a template for this affidavit. 

• W2s (or tax return equivalents) from the past two years, either the student's the parent's/guardian's. These show proof of income. 

• Bank statements and credit cards statements from the three most recent months leading up to your appointment. These show a history of cash flow and consistent income. 

You may redact/black out any account numbers, Social Security Numbers (SSNs), or personal information unrelated to your finances on these documents. 

These items are NOT optional. We understand that this is sensitive information, but these are part of the requirements set by the European Union that Greece follows in order to issue a student visa. Neither Holy Cross nor CYA collects this information, it is only collected by the Consulate at the in-person appointment. Students should not expect to send this information digitally prior to or during their appointment. 

Students risk not obtaining their visa and thus their ability to participate in a semester abroad in Greece if they choose to disregard any of the Consulate's requirements. Holy Cross does not have control over the Greek Consulates, the documents they require, nor the decisions they make when reviewing these documents when considering visa issuance.